Smitten
by Nighteh13
Summary: Sakura is kidnapped from her house by a man she had not seen for many years...But who knows her very well and desires to break her in any way possible to acquire the information he might need.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Prologue **

For the first time in many days, Sakura woke up after the sun had rose above the roof of her apartment, blissful for the short break from her job. She loved her occupation as a medic, yet she had been trained for years to be only one thing – a kunoichi, a sharp weapon guarding Konoha at all times. She had attended countless missions, ranging from harmless D-ranks that had been used for nothing more then a paid vacation with her friends to ones directly affecting Konoha's well being, dangerous both by the physical strain and the knowledge supplied, consuming one's mental health slowly from the inside.

She had given up on the easy thrill of field work, instead aiding Tsunade with the village's paperwork, accepting the responsibility of the knowledge coming with the occupation. As a reward, she received little more then a larger wage and the constant comfort of her own bed rather than one hundreds of miles away from Konoha, yet she was not the one to complain against the honor her mentor had provided her with. At the age of eighteen, Sakura was considered more valuable to the village then many of those thrice her age – and the woman intended for things to remain that way.

Getting up from her bed and slipping on a silk bathrobe, the pink-haired kunoichi slowly walked to the bathroom, savoring the natural energy her body had produced after finally getting a sleep-filled night. Stepping into her bathtub, she turned the faucets and arched under the hot water stream, enjoying the comfort she was currently receiving. Curling under the stream to massage shampoo through her hair, the girl failed to notice the creak one of her windows had made or the soft sound of feet on her hardwood floors.

In the very next minute, Sakura felt her head sharply descend under the pressure of someone's hand, hitting the marble bottom of the bathtub, the chlorinated water instantly causing her vision to blur. Attempting to gather her strength, the girl furiously kicked with her feet, producing nothing more then splashes of water, choking as her lungs were slowly deprived of oxygen. Closing her eyes in submission as her breath slowly trickled away, she felt herself being roughly hauled up by her attacker, gasping for precious air for a few seconds in silence.

"Who are you?" She gasped, every sound painful against her damaged lungs. She didn't attempt to turn her head; in fact, she couldn't – she was extremely exhausted, and someone of lesser training would likely have died or suffered brain damage after the harsh assault she had experienced.

"You don't remember me, dear Sakura?" A masculine voice asked, filled with mock concern. "But you were in love with me, or at least you claimed to be, for many years! How could it be that you forgot me so easily?"

"It can't be…" Sakura breathed, fruitlessly attempting to open her eyes to see even a glimpse of the man her attacker claimed to be. Although she haven't seen him in several years as he still remained a criminal to Konoha and part of Orochimaru's group, little of the feelings she had possessed for him had disappeared.

"And here I thought you would want to see me, Sakura-kun." He said, the grip on her hair easing, making Sakura fall to the floor in a crumbled, virtually motionless heap. "I guess your lack of enthusiasm means I'll have to use a little force."

"Why are you doing this to me?" She whimpered, cursing herself repeatedly for all mistakes she had managed to make in just one fragment of this day, which started out blissfully well – her lack of defense, her fear of the man who had once been her teammate and equal, the weakness shown to her enemy.

"You're mistaken here, Sakura. This area was always your weak point – you thought you were somehow different from the many other girls who threw themselves at me just because you were my teammate."

"Sasuke…" Supporting herself with her elbows, she raised her head to meet the icy glare of a man who once – _still – _meant everything to her. Clasping her hands together in a futile attempt to perform a jutsu, Sakura saw her opponent swiftly perform the hand signs, barely recognizing the technique behind them at the fast movement. Barely a second later, her wrists and ankles were tied together, Sasuke bending to scoop her body up from the wet tiles.

"You're weak, Sakura. Weaker than I remembered you being in our previous encounters. I guess the office work you did in the past months dulled whatever skills you might have previously had." The girl felt cold, slender fingers touch her temples, likely performing a sleeping jutsu. "I am going to have a lot of fun with that." With those words, she felt everything fade as her swollen eyelids closed against her


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 1**

Sakura's senses returned slowly, each one more painful then the one before it. After a few seconds, she realized that the surface her body was currently occupying had nothing in common with her bed – it was cold, hard and most likely stone. Flinching slightly as she attempted to breathe, she instinctively reached for her kunai which was usually holstered on her thigh when she slept on missions. Her hand closing only on her skin, the kunoichi sharply opened her eyes, the memories of the attack coming back rapidly.

Looking around, she saw a cheap, dimmed light bulb hanging on the low ceiling above her head. She was currently lying on the floor of a narrow cell, one barely bigger then her closet, wearing nothing but a damp bathrobe barely reaching her thighs. A length of rope was carelessly thrown beside her, evidently untied from her wrists and ankles. The door was made from solid metal, no handle present on the inside of the room.

Gritting her teeth, she inhaled sharply and stood up, her head barely below the ceiling. Feeling trapped, frantic and defenseless, she loudly screamed and kicked at the door, wanting for someone, _anyone, _to come in and tell her why she was locked in an unknown cell. After a few minutes, she fell back on the ground, exhausted from a visibly effortless task. _They drained my chakra, _she thought, a wave of anxiety once again overpowering her slender form. Gathering her strength once again, she sat in front of the door, waiting until it finally opened, revealing a tall, lean man in the doorway.

"Hello, Sakura. How are you liking your new room?" Sasuke leaned casually against the metal frame, eyeing the woman before him. Dressed in nothing but a soft piece of silk, Sakura was irresistibly feminine and definitely a step more attractive them the adolescent girl of fifteen he had remembered.

"Why did you bring me here, you bastard?" She screeched, locking eyes with her ex-teammate.

"It's pretty simple: we need information very few people possess. And, as paradox as it must sound to a kunoichi your level, you are the easiest one to question."

"And who are the candidates?" Sakura scoffed, defensive against the comment as he predicted she might have been.

"Well, our choice was between you, Tsunade, and a few more officials slightly below your level – none of which remain alone in an unsecured apartment at any time. So, if this will make you happy, you were finally my girl of choice." His voice, although the words were openly mocking her, remained pronounced in nothing but monotone.

Sakura shivered slightly as Sasuke walked the few steps that separated them, offering her a hand to help her stand up. Once again flinching at the weak position she managed to score, she accepted the offer, standing beside him as her eyes traveled to the open door, contemplating a desperate escape.

"Don't even attempt that." The man said coldly as he followed the direction of her gaze. "Your chakra is at an extremely low level at the moment, and it is not in my plans to make it rise unless you provide us with what is necessary of you."

"What do you want, Sasuke?" She said, feeling the exact reaction his words had promised – even standing up and holding conversation for a few minutes was having an effect on her drained body.

"As I had stated before, it is quite simple. All I need is the information on the current mission of Naruto. After that, we will extend our welcome before our…task is completed. Then you are free to go to Konoha."

"I thought you knew me better than that, Sasuke." Sakura said sharply. "I am not going to betray my friend just because you asked me to!"

For the past few years, Naruto had been hunted by several organizations, each one desiring to acquire the Kyuubi container. Konoha had faithfully guarded the young man, yet his feisty character could simply not accept the fact that he would not be able to fight off the danger men such as the Akatsuki possessed. In fact, Naruto Uzumaki had continued to request missions in order to help his village, not realizing each one was more detrimental than beneficial because of the amount of time Sakura or Tsunade had to spend to seek out a location in which the young shinobi would be hidden yet productive in some form. The mission schedule had been carefully plan out for months ahead in order to prepare an emergency battle plan in case Naruto was ever accidentally discovered, Sakura being one of the most informed people because of the close friendship she possessed with the ninja.

"I have some…incentives, as one might call them." Sasuke smirked, remembering his recent conversation with Orochimaru.

***

"_Good, you got the girl. I assume you'll get where the Fox is out of her alone, or do you require someone's help?"_

"_I can manage, thank you." Sasuke answered coolly. In fact, he was looking forward to the task of breaking the very last links he had to Konoha – the two teammates that refused to abandon the memories of him once he had left the village. _

"_Do you expect she will just tell you what we need?" _

"_I doubt it; she was never much of a coward. However, I believe I will be able to convince her in some way or another."_

"_I am not doubting that. You may do anything to get the information" The other man smirked, standing up from his seat to stare down at his apprentice. "In fact, I am sure you will enjoy it."_

"_I'm sure I will."_

***

"What are you going to do, beat me into a pulp?" Sakura scoffed, seeing Sasuke's momentary hesitation. "I'm sure you would love to do that, especially seeing the fact that you already made me unable to defend back!"

"That's just too crude." The man smirked back, reaching forward to softly brush Sakura's tangled hair off her forehead. "There are better methods than that…And more pleasurable, too. Of course, you will not very much like it if you insist on continuing to resist me."

The girl attempted to flinch away from the touch, feeling Sasuke's hand trail slowly down the curve of her face and descending onto her neck. Wrapping his arm around her narrow, feminine shoulders, he pulled her closer into an embrace, his lips brushing her pink hair. "In fact, I would not want to hurt you in any way. Just help me, and you can stay here with me forever." The man's lips brushed hers, the kiss soft yet touching Sakura in ways she had dubbed impossible shortly after she half-mended her heart, broken after Sasuke's betrayal.

"Just tell me where your friend is hiding." Sasuke murmured in her ear, stroking her wrist with his thumb.

The words _your friend _sank deep into Sakura's brain, helping her out of the daze Sasuke's romantic gesture had inflicted on her. Stepping away from the raven-haired man, she crossed gazes with him and said, her tone leveled but shaking slightly – "I can't. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"I knew it wouldn't work." Sasuke growled dangerously. "I was never very good at playing the shy lover role. Anyway, if you would agree to that, than this would not be as interesting as I had thought." Roughly grabbing Sakura's shoulder, he twisted the girl's arm around until she grinded her teeth in pain, unable to stop him because of the effect the lack of chakra was having on her system. Gesturing for the girl to follow him and smirking when she stopped in front of the door, he took her hand in his and bent her fingers back sharply, although refraining from breaking any of the fragile bones.

The two proceeded to walk down a narrow hallway, Sasuke nodding at the two guards that stood by the sides of the dungeon. The space was lit by nothing but cheap light bulbs, rather than something more gloomy and ostentatious that Sakura could have expected from Sasuke's new home, such as candles in skulls or something equally cliché. Ignoring the thoughts, she continued to follow Sasuke, knowing she had no means to escape while chakra-less and trapped in a closed space with no one but the man's minions. Finally entering a room at the very end of the hallway, the girl gasped quietly at the sight before her.

"Here are some of my more interesting methods." Sasuke smiled menacingly, stepping aside to let her survey the scene.

A/N: Next chapters will involve actions that I put the rating in place for, so beware xD This chapter was short-ish, but I found that it would look better if broken into 2.

And yes, **thenarutofanguy **will be writing a lemon for one of the next few chapters :D


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 2**

Sakura gasped involuntarily at the sight before her. Sasuke's words ringing in her head as she walked into the door, she was definitely not expecting a pleasant surprise – yet nothing could prepare her for what she was numbly staring at right now. The room was dimly lit, an effect created by nothing more than the lack of windows and another portion of the cheap illumination. The air was cold, clinging to her exposed skin as she surveyed the scene around her. It was evidently designed to contain prisoners rather than the owners of the place she was in, as the surroundings revealed an absence of anything but blood-stained towels and several exquisite torture devices.

"Your first impression?" Sasuke murmured, his eyes narrowed at her sound of surprise.

"More like a lack of it." Sakura replied evenly, gazing in the eyes of her ex-teammate. "So you limit people's chakra and then do _this _to them? Your organization must be even more sick and desperate than I thought."

"Desperate?" The man inquired, raising one thin eyebrow. "I'd expect anything but that, and I think you will change your mind once you see the effect those," he nodded towards the looming steel objects, "produce on you."

"You'll torture me while I can't even fight back?"

"Of course you can fight back, dear Sakura." Sasuke smirked at her, once again clasping his hand onto her shoulder. "It just won't produce any effect, will tire you out and will make your experience even more painful, but you're welcome to try as many times as you want. I am sure it will even be slightly amusing for me."

"Bastard! I hate you!" Sakura shouted, her high-pitched voice reflecting off the thick walls.

"I am sure you don't." Sasuke said quietly, lightly squeezing her shoulder with his hand. "In fact, I would prefer you did – you would suffer less if the pain inflicted on you came from a random enemy you hated rather than a childhood friend you still possess feelings for. I know it hurts you very much, and this can all stop when you simply tell me the locations of Naruto's next few missions."

Sakura silently shook her head, trembling slightly under Sasuke's iron grip. In fact, she still did retain a large amount of the infatuation she had possessed for many years, and simply refused to believe the man was about to subject her to the cruel methods he had just described. '_Maybe he is just trying to emotionally provoke me,' _she thought, '_and he will not go through. He just said he felt sorry for me!'_

"Well, I guess you made your choice." The man said, the tiny degree of compassion his voice possessed just seconds ago instantly disappearing. "Now, shall we start?"

"What do you expect me to reply with?" Sakura scoffed, still hoping her thoughts might prove true. Without saying another word, Sasuke roughly shoved her against the wall, using a length of rope to tie her hands to a hook above her head, her back turned to him with her bathrobe hitched up to her upper thighs. Her body stretched out to force her to stand on the very edges of her toes, Sakura flicked her eyes to see Sasuke picking up a leather whip from the nearby table she first saw when entering the room.

Slowly stroking the material, the man stopped directly behind her, trailing the whip between his fingers. "Anything you want to tell me?" He smirked, feeling the raw power he possessed over the girl he knew for many years.

Sakura remained silent, clenching her teeth in order to not satisfy Sasuke with screaming from the pain he was about to cause her. What she had not expected was a sensual stroke on her back, her bathrobe enhancing the feeling and causing a shiver to pass through her body. Sensing her reaction, the man continued to slowly caress her covered skin, making Sakura relax visibly in the course of several seconds.

Her soothed state disappeared directly after Sasuke retrieved the whip and sharply hit her skin, an angry red line appearing in the place of the attack. Completely unprepared, she gasped, although the pain received could be rated as many times less horrible than that of kunoichi training. "So painful for you already?" Sasuke inquired, his tone only slightly sarcastic.

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed through clenched teeth, expecting another hit any time. "It's not like my opinion matters to you in any way that will make you stop!"

The man did not reply, once more twirling the instrument in his hands before bringing it down on Sakura's flesh, this time breaking the skin and causing crimson droplets to appear on the line. He repeated the action continuously, allowing no breaks between the blows, until the girl was barely conscious from the pain, yet still not letting herself show weakness to Sasuke.

"I think we'll stop for today." He said, letting the bloody piece of leather drop from his hand and quickly untying the rope that held the woman's hands in place. "We'll continue tomorrow. Unless you want to stop resisting, of course."

"Why?" Sakura choked out, her voice hoarse. "Just kill me now."

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but I can not kill you now like you are asking. One, I would actually like to receive the information we need from you, as that would mean we would not have to risk abducting another official and creating too much unneeded publicity. And two, I would also like to see you get out of here alive and relatively unharmed, which you are sadly protesting to."

His words once again maintained the compassionate tone she had heard once she first entered the room. Reflecting on the thought as she closed her eyes, attempting to drift into a slumber to block out the pain her ravaged back gave her, Sakura felt Sasuke's arm bring her back to a standing position.

"You have to get back to your cell." He murmured, supporting her weight with his shoulder as she started to collapse heavily. Looking at the kunoichi's broken form, the man shrugged, scooping her roughly into his arms. "You have a lower pain tolerance than most shinobi."

Sakura groaned, sinking into the man's arms, having no strength to be distrustful or fearful of her tormentor. Her back was no longer intensely pained, but numb with throbbing spots. She remembered little from the walk back down the long hallway, snapping back to some degree of attention only when she heard a door open. She felt her form being gently lowered on the stone ground, her ripped silk bathrobe no longer providing a contrast from the cold floor to her hot back.

"Don't go to sleep yet." Sasuke's voice rang in a seemingly far distance from her ears. "You need to eat to maintain your health with no chakra to support you."

"Why do you care?" Sakura mumbled, knowing sleep was potentially the only thing that could lessen the damage Sasuke caused to her body. "You're the one who did this to me."

"I gave you multiple chances to prevent this from happening." Sasuke retorted, her voice once again sounding harsh. "And like I said before, I am sorry I was the one who got this task assigned to me. I would really not like to make you suffer, but I have my priorities." He hesitated again, then turned to walk out of the room. "I can guarantee your return back to Konoha though. But that, of course, is fully in your hands."

Feeling confused and broken, Sakura settled for groaning quietly, her face squashed to the rough stone tiles of her cell. Lying in the same position for a few minutes and savoring the feeling of numbness that slowly spread through her body as she drifted off to a light sleep, she briefly wondered how much time passed since the fateful morning in her bathtub. Although she rationally knew the span could be no longer then two or three days, the time she spent in the unknown location seemed to last for weeks.

The door finally creaked again, Sakura awaking only to see Sasuke's form above her holding a bowl and a glass. "Eat now, and then sleep." The man said quietly, watching her stir and sit up, her back exploding with fresh pain.

Clenching her teeth together to prevent herself from moaning at the intense feeling her damaged skin was currently producing, Sakura reluctantly accepted the dishes from his hand, devouring the basic foods hungrily under Sasuke's watchful gaze. After she finished, Sasuke allowed the girl to lie down and succumb to sleep, his eyes observing her still form. Sakura had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and although he repeatedly attempted to convince himself he possessed no feelings for her during his hunt for revenge, his work had now once again brought him to the kunoichi.

Sakura was currently on her side, her eyes closed, eyelids completely still. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed heavily, her arms splattered across the cold floor. Her form was hunched close together, the girl obviously cold from her body heat being sucked into the stones. Pulling off his jacket, Sasuke gently lay it over his ex-teammate, then quietly exiting the room.

He was definitely not going to enjoy this task as much as he thought, if the simple action of breaking off the feelings he had towards his ex-friends was turning into a bonding session rather then the pure desire to complete the mission. But the very thing he had to do in order to prove himself wrong was to complete the said task at any cost.


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 3**

"Tsunade, I can't believe you will not let me try to rescue her! She's one of my best friends!" The whiskered man shouted, angrily banging his fist on the official's table. Sakura had been missing for more then two days; her absence discovered when Naruto came to her apartment to take his friend out to their traditional weekend ramen. After thoroughly searching the territory, all Naruto had found were a large amount of toiletries and water droplets scattered along the kunoichi's bathroom floor. After consulting the rest of their friends and Tsunade, it became evident no one knew Sakura's whereabouts, making Naruto show up in the office and claim for a mission to 'rescue' his comrade.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. But if something happens to you on the mission, the whole of Konoha would face a major disadvantage. I will be sending a team of shinobi to search for Sakura, but you will be staying here."

"But…Sakura-chan might need me! I'm the one who knows her best!" Naruto pouted. "Please let me go on the mission!"

"I understand, but no. And if you disregard my instruction, there will be consequences!" Tsunade said, giving the young shinobi a severe look. Frowning, Naruto stood up and ran out of the office, searching for the one man in the village who he knew might help him with his reckless idea. After a quick sprint across the streets of Konoha, he ended up standing beside an apartment door, knocking loudly to indicate his presence.

"Naruto," Kakashi said warmly, letting his former student into the apartment. "Do you have any news on Sakura?"

"Um…Yeah. That's kind of what I am here for." The whiskered man said, slumping down on one of his sensei's couches. "I need your help to rescue her. Tsunade won't let me get out of Konoha."

"Whatever her reason, she's doing it to protect you." Kakashi replied automatically, remembering many of Naruto's complaints over the past few months about the lack of important missions he was receiving. Running his hand through his silver hair, the older man contemplated the simplicity of his student's proposal. Dash out from the village on a dangerous mission rather then spending his days lurking around the town, rescue his long-term friend and protect Naruto while keeping him occupied. _This might even be worth my time._

'You sound exactly like everyone else! Come on, you know you want to drag your old bones out of Konoha once in a while!" _Exactly my thoughts._

"So, what is your plan? Or are you just thinking about helping Sakura while disregarding the minor details such as exactly where she might be residing at the time?" Kakashi retorted, walking across his room to pick up a kunai. His action did not remain unnoticed by Naruto, who happily jumped up to follow the other man, crushing him with a hug. "Does that mean you're coming, sensei?"

"If we get caught, you will be the one blamed." Kakashi growled, knowing that most likely, he would be the one to protect the irresponsible shinobi. "And you must remember that this is extremely dangerous, and actually attempt to listen to me while we're at it." His last words were completely unnoticed as Naruto ran to his door once again, opening it to mark the start of their journey.

***

Sakura came back to reality with a series of sharp throbs erupting from her back. Moaning in pain as she sat up, she instantly remembered the events she was subjected to in her last waking time. To her surprise, she did not feel the chill she had felt when awaking in the same cell yesterday, causing her to look around for the source of the change. Almost instantly she spotted the dark blue jacket Sasuke wore yesterday covering her legs and a part of her upper body, slightly bloodstained but overall untouched. Guessing it was placed onto her after she fell asleep, Sakura felt a pang of confusion as she compared the contrast of the man's actions in the space of barely more than an hour.

Looking around the cell, she noticed a glass of water standing near the door. Deciding not to test her ability to walk or even stand up, Sakura crawled up to the dish and drank greedily, her lips dry and tasting of copper from the many bites she had made on them yesterday in attempt to prevent herself from writhing in pain. Briefly wondering if Sasuke would continue the cruel process he was subjecting her to today, Sakura collapsed back on the ground, looking at the dim light bulb and wondering what was happening in Konoha in her absence.

Shortly after, the door opened again to reveal Sasuke, who was wearing nothing but a black shirt and a pair of basic pants. Silently picking up his discarded jacket from the floor, he nodded to the kunoichi, who managed to jerk her head at him, sharp throbbing piercing the muscles of both her head and her neck. Sensing the discomfort the action gave her, the man crouched beside her, tender fingers softly touching the fresh wounds under the matted bathrobe. Flinching at the touch, Sakura gave him a questioning gaze, only to receive one back.

"Why did you leave me your jacket yesterday?" She asked, her voice quiet and hoarse.

"You seemed like you were cold." The man shrugged, his hand slowly traveling up to her neck to probe her skin for particularly painful spots. Sakura did not object; in fact, she was unsure of her ability to muster up the strength to do so.

"It doesn't seem like my well-being concerns you." The girl retorted icily.

"You might be slightly mistaken here, dear Sakura. I had given you multiple chances to escape the state you are currently in, and was forced to put you in this condition only because of your refusal. As you must also understand, I am committed to my job and will therefore be forced to continue unless you are willing to make this easier for both of us."

"I'm not a traitor!" Sakura hissed, feeling Sasuke's hand tenderly press against the crook of her neck.

"Neither am I. And the task I was given right now is to get information out of you in any way possible."

"You should have stayed in Konoha." Sakura whispered, remembering the last time she attempted to convince him. Although her reasons had been vastly different, she felt the same – desperate, weak and heartbroken. "None of us would force a task of torturing your ex-teammate to you."

"But someone else would have to, Sakura. Why do you assume that I am too good and fragile to do this job?" Sasuke said harshly, the woman's words once again triggering an effect Sakura could not yet understand. "You can see that I have no setbacks about this if you do not provide me the answers I need. Have you decided on that yet?"

Sakura heisted for a few seconds, knowing both the positive and the negative answers will have detrimental effects. "I did." She finally said, carefully weighing her words in order to not further break the delicate bond she seemed to have established with Sasuke. "I will attempt to protect Naruto for as long as I possibly can."

"Once again, you are leaving me no choice." Sasuke murmured, standing up and leaning the girl's body against the wall. "I'll give you another hour to think this through. I'll come back with food."

Completely ignoring the last sentence, Sakura stared at the man's back, wondering what methods he would come up with to end her torment. She had always been considered the weak one in their team, both men easily allotting her the position. She had never been the one performing heroic acts or saving her teammates in the many missions they had performed before Sasuke had left Konoha. Now she was contemplating why she was attempting to save Naruto, a feat that could she probably could not achieve. '_Maybe I should just give in like Sasuke says. Naruto is too strong to be simply captured because I gave away his location. He can fend for himself. I don't deserve this!'_

Clenching her teeth, Sakura cursed herself for once again claiming herself too weak to help her teammate. Wincing as she lay back down on the floor, she stared at the ceiling, wondering where exactly her whiskered friend currently was. Although she did not doubt the fact he would attempt to rescue her, she internally pleaded for his arrival to approach faster. Sasuke had shown her of what exactly he was capable of doing to her to achieve his goal, and the girl assumed that the first time could be dubbed the easiest of the ones she was yet to experience.

"I'm a kunoichi." Sakura whispered determinedly to the stone walls of her cell. "I can get through this."

**A/N:** Sasuke's slightly strange behavior will possibly be explained later on xD And next chapter will have smut for all of you who are waiting for it xP


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 4**

He came back at exactly one hour after he exited the small dungeon, carrying another portion of food in his right hand. Setting it beside the kunoichi, Sasuke waited patiently as she scoffed down the hot meal. After a few minutes of the forced silence, he sat beside the girl, their hips almost touching.

"Have you thought about my proposal?" Sasuke asked, inclining his head slightly. Sakura shook her head silently, staring at the blankness of the wall directly in front of her.

"Does your answer mean you have not thought about it or that you refuse to tell me?"

"I won't tell." The girl replied quietly, not taking her gaze away from the wall in order not to show reaction to the warm sensation of Sasuke's skin almost touching her own.

"Then we'll have to go on with this." Sasuke murmured emotionlessly, grazing the neck of his captive with a finger. Critically looking the girl over, he once again noticed the subtle curves under her clothing and the tender breaths she took as the sensation of his touch traveled to her brain. "Actually, I think there might be a different approach from the one that I…utilized yesterday."

Sakura nodded numbly, her neck slowly tinting with a pink blush several shades more delicate than her hair. Sasuke's hand slowly wrapping around her body, he pulled her into a slow embrace, his lips only inches away from her face. She felt the man tug on her bathrobe, the stained silk slowly slipping off her slender body. Tilting up her chin, Sasuke tenderly kissed her, their lips making only a brief contact before the girl pulled back, crossing gazes with the dangerously dark eyes of her tormentor.

"Don't…Please…" She whispered, her eyes flickering to the closed, barely noticeable door. Virtually locked in a stone box, chakra-less and probably very far away from anyone who could have possibly helped her, she was left at the mercy of her ex-teammate.

"Why?" Sasuke replied harshly, his hands resting on her now bare shoulders. "Don't pretend you haven't wanted this for years. You were the one who stalked me throughout most of our childhood, and now you are asking me to stop? I doubt the times before have been very different from this."

"I would not have anything to compare this to." Sakura said quietly, her nipples slowly hardening against her will as Sasuke caressed her skin, sliding down from the relatively insensitive position on her shoulders to cup her bare breasts.

"You're a virgin?" His hands hesitated momentarily in hungrily exploring her body. "I would not have thought so. Females of our profession usually revel in the opportunity to fuck around before they're killed or forced to have sex for a mission."

"My life is not endangered enough to, as you say, fuck around." Sakura replied defiantly, her voice shaking slightly from the blood rush the man's skilled movements had created.

"I trust I might change your philosophy." Sasuke smirked, roughly slamming the girl's slim body against a wall before kissing the side of her neck, his teeth grazing the pulsing veins. Audibly moaning in pain, the girl's eyelids fluttered as her barely closed wounds have opened from the contact with the stones, blood beginning to drip on the floor.

"God…Stop…" The girl whispered, barely conscious as images of Team Seven once again floated into her mind. After a few seconds, almost completely convinced that Sasuke has just performed another method of torture, one slightly more excruciating then the first. Tasting blood in her mouth, the pink haired kunoichi hatefully glared up to find the man staring into her eyes with a look of genuine concern.

Quickly snapping his fingers together to create a healing jutsu Sakura herself had performed many times on her hospital patients, Sasuke continued to hold her drained form as she slowly regained consciousness, her skin pulling together painlessly and the slight blood loss making her head spin as she rested against the man's body.

"Now, let's continue." The man said, his voice several tones more heated than when he first entered the dungeon, his fingers slowly tracing her spine from her neck to the small of her back. Shivering from the contact, Sakura pulled back, her mind spinning with mixed thoughts.

"I can't do this. Not after you left Konoha."

"Have you heard me giving you an option?" Sasuke said harshly, pulling her close to his own body and feeling her chest rise and fall against his own. "Of course, you can always just tell me and this all can stop…But I doubt you would want to."

Gritting her teeth, Sakura closed her eyes, limply resting in Sasuke's arms as he expertly licked her nipples, her arousal slowly ascending as he caressed her flesh in ways she had never experienced before. The man's voice interrupted her as his tongue separated from her abdomen, briefly returning Sakura the opportunity to think coherently.

"Are you going to attempt to take my shirt off or do I have to do it myself?" Sasuke growled. Opening her eyes, Sakura fumbled with the buttons, slipping the cotton material off to see the pale skin of the man she claimed to love for years. Shrugging out of his trousers, he pinned the girl's hands to the floor, her wrists trapped as he once again claimed her lips, this time carefully tracing the outside as his hand encircled her sex.

Trembling as he slipped one long digit inside her, Sakura found herself arching upwards to once again meet the man's lips, unable to see past the raven spikes brushing her face as Sasuke steeled himself above her. Reaching to touch the silky hair, the kunoichi found her body savoring the exquisite sensation of being caressed despite the revulsion her mind was currently feeling.

"Ready?" She heard Sasuke growl above her as he slipped yet another finger into her throbbing sex, quickly withdrawing them and shifting slightly.

Nodding awkwardly, she felt something slowly penetrate her, gasping and clenching her teeth together, resulting in blood pooling in her mouth from her lip. Refraining from any other displays, she could not resist moaning seconds later as the pain she was feeling slowly submerged, giving place to a pleasure both from the fact that one of her deepest, most treasured fantasies was being fulfilled and the simple desires her body was experiencing.

"So tight…" Sasuke panted as he slowly thrust into her body, roughly yet pleasurably stretching her sex. Once again flexibly arching to meet her lover's lips, Sakura found herself in an abyss as she floated on sensations previously unknown to her, hovering seconds away from the brink. "You're beautiful, Sakura."

She felt the man shudder after the words, his back muscles rippling as she embraced him, hot liquid filling her body. Rolling off the girl, the two laid in silence for several minutes, Sakura's pleasure slowly fading as she stared longingly at the low ceiling of the cell. _Did I just whore myself out to the man who made it his mission to numerously reject me and torture me for the sake of killing my best friend?_

Standing up quickly, Sasuke pulled his pants back on, seemingly careless about the imprisoned kunoichi witnessing his nude form. "Goodnight, Sakura."

"Wait!" She screamed, standing up swiftly without the added pain of the wounds on her back.

"What now?" The man inquired, leaning against a wall.

"Why?" Sakura whispered, her voice on the verge of breaking into a sob. "Why did you fuck me and why are you leaving now? You know I wanted to just spend the night with you since we were twelve!"

"That is unfortunate." Sasuke replied emotionlessly, slipping his cotton shirt back under the girl's watchful gaze. "As I have said before, I harbor no intention to hurt you. At the same time, my job is to put you under enough strain for you to break. Yet I have not subjected myself to said task not being pleasurable for me."

"Bastard!" Sakura howled as the man once again coldly surveyed her, his face revealing no expression that might have opposed the information he just told her. Limply collapsing on the ground, the kunoichi sobbed openly, all of the recent events hitting her at once. _He'll make me die in here and no one will find me! Not that he would care if I die, he'll just get himself a new prisoner!_ She thought, wrapping her hands around her body as she cried, tears slipping down her flushed cheeks.

As the girl closed her eyes, the blurred vision of the man who had deflowered her now too painful to bear, Sasuke cast a regretful glance at her slim form. Forcing himself to step away from his ex-teammate and a friend of many years, he swiftly exited the cell, closing the door with a dull, broken sound.

A/N: In the next chapter(s), Sasuke experiences a slight change of heart. And therefore, the story progresses xD

I am going on vacation, so next chapter will be posted in 3-ish weeks.


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 5**

"Any bright ideas, Naruto?" Kakashi inquired, his voice tired despite the fact he had mainly kept quiet for the past hours, bearing his teammate's constant chatter.

"Well, um…" Naruto hesitated, his grin frozen on his face as he looked around his surroundings. The two had just passed through the gates of Konoha, now barely out of the eyesight of the guards. Both were carrying nothing but a day's ration and weapons, all crammed into a backpack currently hanging off Kakashi's shoulder. It was barely noon, and both understood the need to utilize their time productively before nightfall, yet Sakura's whereabouts continued to remain as mysterious to them as they were when they first conversed in the older man's apartment. "I thought you might know what to do, sensei."

"If I did not know that you only call me sensei when you have nothing else to say, I would be flattered." The silver-haired man remarked dryly, watching his ex-student pace on the spot, wasting the precious energy needed for their trip. "Listen, Naruto, I have agreed to go with you only because you would attempt it yourself if I refused. I doubt Sakura has been killed"—at the mention of these words Naruto's smile faded from his face, replaced by a silent look of horror in his eyes—"because if she was, the attacker would not need to transport her body. Assuming she is alive, there must be a reason for her being kidnapped."

"Well, she's a good medic and everything, but I doubt that's it. If they really needed her power, they would have opted for someone else. I know she is Tsunade's apprentice, but she's only eighteen!"

"Eighteen is a young age for everyone but shinobi. Many of us don't live past twenty-five." Kakashi replied thoughtfully, tipping his head up to watch the bright sky. "I think you're right though. What useful information or talents might Sakura have other than her medic profession?"

"Those are the ones she's known for…She's a good kunoichi, she's better at many techniques than I am, but not a lot of people assume that because she went into medic training," Naruto said, a blank, confused expression on his face.

Pausing again, Kakashi seemed lost in thought for a few seconds before he snapped his head down to look at Naruto. "That's it! Only someone who knows her well would think she would be of more importance to them than other people of her occupation! She basically has the most information about…Well, you."

"Me?" The whiskered man said, blinking in confusion.

"Naruto, just in case you have forgotten, the Akatsuki and several other organizations are after the demon fox sealed inside you. That is, incidentally, why we had to sneak out of the village without Tsunade's permission. I doubt Sakura had been captured just for her abilities, which, I will admit, are excellent for someone of her age. Most villages and organizations have their own medics whom are just as skilled as she is. Therefore, it is her allegiance with you that was most likely the cause of the abduction."

"But Kakashi-sensei, no one outside Konoha knows how close Sakura and I are! We haven't gone on missions together since we were kids!" Naruto protested.

"I guess that leaves us with the answer." The older man stated. "Someone who knows both of you since childhood, knows that Sakura is virtually the person you trust most, someone who would use her to get the information he needs rather than a higher ranked official…"

For once, the blonde did not need any explanation on the identity of the man Kakashi was portraying before him. "Sasuke! If he does something to her, I'll kill him!"

"In order to accomplish that, we have to find him first." Nodding grimly, the two men quickly set off in the direction of the small nearby town to decide their plan.

***

No feeble arguments about the strength she would need to resist Sasuke further could convince Sakura to fall asleep that night, the girl sobbing quietly on the stone floor instead. Entering a state similar to lucid dreaming, she swam through a sea of images of her childhood, remembering the many times Naruto had offered her help, protection or friendship and she had rejected him, thinking her heartache was a reason to push away the one person who loved her.

_And now you got what you deserved. _She thought, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she cast a glance at the cell door. _He must think he broke me, and he is right – there's no more reason for me to resist. There's no more reason for me to do anything at all. _She stayed on the floor limply, refusing to get up, knowing her feeble movements around the empty cell would do nothing but weaken her further, both physically and emotionally. Minutes and hours passed as Sakura drifted in both recent and far memories, waiting for either death or the conclusion of her tormentor's efforts.

Long after the girl had lost count of the seconds trickling by her and slipped into a state of near unconsciousness, she felt herself being roughly scooped up, opening her eyes to meet Sasuke's unreadable, lazily swirling Sharingan orbs. "I assume you have not moved an inch since I left," he hissed angrily, trailing his eyes over Sakura's form for visible injuries.

"Why?" She replied, aiming for a lack of emotion and instead punctuating the word with a loud sob. "We've already figured out. I don't see any changes in your plan. Or are you telling me you no longer intend to fuck me up just to get your hands on someone who actually cares about me?"

"Sakura…" he said quietly, halting at the angry glare she threw him.

"Am I not right?" She said sharply, a suppressed sob evident in her voice. "I remember that you had once told me you intend to avenge your brother for killing those he was supposed to care about without a second thought. Then you killed him for it, and just years later, you're doing the same thing! Sasuke, the three of us used to be friends; we risked our lives for each other! And you left Konoha to just…do this."

"Don't compare me to Itachi." Sasuke growled, his grip painfully tightening around her body. "Do you think I have any choice with this? I am following orders. In fact, I am actually trying to make this easier on you, to the point that I have actually tried to convince Orochimaru to release you after I am done."

"You do have a choice." Sakura said quietly, flipping her hair to cover her puffy, swollen eyes. "You had one when you left Konoha, and I stood at the gates pleading for you not to leave. You had one when you came back to the village to take me for this mission. You have one now. Don't try to make me feel better, Sasuke. I doubt you have gone to any great lengths when talking to Orochimaru, and I am convinced that if he asks you to kill me, you would do it without a second thought. So just kill me now and be done with it."

The man's Sharingan eyes continued spinning, gaining in speed as he listened to her speech. Casting a glance on the door, he quickly lowered his captive to the ground, his hands moving quickly to form the signs for a jutsu that would prevent their conversation from being overheard by anyone in the radius. Sitting on the floor beside Sakura, he gripped her shoulders, forcefully turning her head towards him.

"You have no right to ask me for that, Sakura," he said coldly, watching her expression transform into one of slight fear as she watched his contorted features.

"I have no right to anything. I am begging you," the girl whispered, once again looking into his eyes.

"Don't," the man replied sharply. "I can not grant your request. I would never be able to."

"Why? It is just a small step from what you already did to me!"

"Sakura…I am sorry," he murmured, taking her hand in his as his orbs slowly darkened to return to the usual dark color. "I should not have done to you what I did yesterday. I can not doubt the fact that you are indeed one of the very few people who cared about me throughout my life, and attempting to shed the affection I had for you throughout this mission was foolish. Now you are simply a captive here."

"You know, I understand. Maybe. But, according to you, that does not change anything. I am still a prisoner here, Naruto is still in mortal peril, and you're still the cold, arrogant bastard you have always presented yourself to be."

Smirking at Sakura's words, he leaned closer, raking his eyes over her lithe form. "I expect you would feel like that after I fulfill that dream of yours."

"You better not just be messing with me again," Sakura muttered, taking a gasping breath as Sasuke's hands massaged her shoulders, relaxing her muscles from the cramps she gained while sleeping on the floor.

"I'll see what I can do to prove you wrong." Leaning forward once more, he blocked her retort with his lips, pulling the kunoichi closer to him.

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, but after returning from vacation I had a raging battle with my writer's block. Fortunately, I won xD


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters._

**Chapter 6**

"It has been nine days since you brought the captive. Every day, you report to me with a story that she had not yet crumbled under the methods you are using on her. At the same time, I have noticed that you have been supplying her meals and have been spending an increasing amount of time in her cell. Might it be possible that you are deviating from the task I hax set for you?"

"I have been trying." Sasuke replied curtly. "I believe Sakura has a right to not be dehumanized as well as imprisoned and tortured."

"I think you are forgetting something." Orochimaru retorted silkily. "You do not make your own decisions regarding the prisoner, and your actions are showing that you are no longer fully committed to doing my bidding. It is understandable, but you can no longer be trusted. We have already wasted more time on her than she deserved."

Sasuke bowed his head briefly, raising his eyes to meet the other man's orbs. "It is my mistake. I can fix it."

"I am not holding this against you, Sasuke. As I have said previously, it is understandable. I will make someone else finish the task. Continue with your usual daily rituals."

Knowing that any protest would only make the man doubt him further, Sasuke gave Orochimaru the trademark Uchiha smirk and exited quickly without a backward glance, heading to his quarters to process the new, radical and definitely unwanted plan change.

***

The next few days had also progressed in a routine, although one much more enjoyable for Sakura than the cruel cycle she was placed in upon her arrival. Sasuke had visited several times a day to bring her meals and sometimes fresh sets of clothing, whispering murmured caresses to her as he cradled her tenderly in his arms, kissing her softly. A few times, he had proceeded to escort her to the torture chambers, calmly causing the damage needed for the ruse of her imprisonment, his demeanor cold as he silently mauled her body. Roughly leading her back to her cell under the watchful eyes of the guards, the man quickly performed basic pain-relieving and healing jutsus on her, leaving her to rest as he left to report his "progress" to Orochimaru.

She hesitated to ask him about her future, knowing he is equally, if not more concerned than she is. Instead, when they had the time or the wish to converse, they exchanged trivial facts about their lives, slowly strengthening the friendship that had almost been torn when Sasuke had left Konoha. She found her affection for him deepening, although not in the infatuation way she found so hard to bear for years, but in developing an understanding of the man similar to the one she had with her other teammate.

It had now been more than a week since she had first been brought to Orochimaru's hideout, and she found her condition both improving and deteriorating – she had fully recovered from the shock, injuries and chakra loss Sasuke had inflicted on her, but the lack of training, fresh air and _purpose _slowly started to numb the kunoichi. Spending most days lying on the floor of her cell and waiting for the man to arrive had been tiresome and annoying at best, and quite angering at worst. She did not complain, knowing the man would only react with an irksome tolerance and the signature indifference the Uchiha Clan possessed.

The door opened quietly, footsteps silent as the man approached her from behind. "Sasuke?" Sakura called out, halting as she felt herself being grabbed, her shoulders almost springing out of the ligaments, and turned to face a young, brutal-looking man whose lips were stretched in a cruel, almost sadistic smile. _Who is he?!_

"Why so friendly? Orochimaru was right about Sasuke. I reckon it'll take me about fifteen minutes to get what we need out of you."

"Right about Sasuke?" The pink-haired girl replied, confused and angered as the man roughly hauled her to the already familiar dungeon room.

"He was too soft to have any impact on you. Although I must say he's a smart one, he ditched you without a second thought when his master told him too."

_He couldn't have! _She wanted to scream at him, to lunge at the chuckling man and strangle him in his laughter, tear his skin into shreds with her nails…Instead, she found herself letting out a small, dry sob as the offered betrayal easily sank in with the overall image she possessed of Sasuke. She followed the man numbly to the dungeons, instantly forgetting her questions about his purpose and focusing only on his words relating to the raven-haired shinobi. _Calm down. He might not have betrayed you. He did what was best for him. He's a Uchiha! _

"Ah, I see you care about him." Her torturer said quietly, forcing her into a basic wooden chair in front of a small table, sitting across from her as he surveyed her face for any traces of emotion, evidently finding plenty. "I'll make it easier for you, I'm not one to play on emotions that is; he cares for you as well." Watching the small, thin lipped smile surface on her face, he smirked again. "I have no need for that, as I don't care about you and don't know you."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her chair, shrinking under the cold gaze of the man. "I assume you have been appointed as the new…executive? I must say that Sasuke had already tried the usual methods of your organization and failed." She replied, steeling her voice as she processed the words about Sasuke's feelings towards her.

"Then he didn't try hard enough. In fact, I doubt he tried at all." The man growled. "Now, would you like to start?"

"No." The kunoichi allowed herself another small smile.

"That is quite sad." Standing up in one fluid motion, he grabbed her wrists and secured them on the opposite sides of the table in the small chains attached to the wood. Sitting back down, he cracked his knuckles as she watched him through narrowed eyes. "Now, this is quite simple. I ask you a question, and if you refuse to answer or give me an unsatisfactory reply, I proceed to cause you pain. Am I clear?"

She stayed silent, mentally gathering her strength, although knowing that her pain would most likely be eased as she had gained some chakra during her stay rather than remaining in the sorry state she was when she was first brought in. Clenching her teeth tightly to protect her tongue, Sakura waited, attempting to project an aura of calm as he took one of her hands in his.

"Take one – where is Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha currently residing and where will his next mission take place?" After giving her a few seconds, he smirked, calmly flicking his wrist in a motion that could be applied to writing, creating a small, cracking sound and eliciting a high-pitched scream of pain from the girl.

It was worse than she expected, leaving her marginally dazed and hoarsely screaming for a few seconds until her head had cleared enough to force her jaws together. Her index finger had been snapped easily, blood pouring onto the table as Sakura stared numbly at the wound in her skin, her eyes clouding over as she raised her head to hatefully glare at the man. Reminding herself of the pain she had to face when she failed to dodge kunais or was forced to run or exercise for days with little or no food. _There. I can resist. _She thought as the sharp feeling slowly started to subside, now replaced by a throbbing ache.

"Did your answer change?"

"No…" Sakura moaned, watching the crimson droplets slowly start to soak into the table, the rapid blood flow starting to slow.

Another heart-wrenching crack. Another pitiful scream, reflecting off the walls as a haze descended onto the girl, the pain expertly caused and too much for her to remain silent, although this time fully prepared for the impact his short, bulky fingers had just made on yet another one of hers. Coherent thinking was impossible as she threw her head back to avoid seeing the mess her once slender, capable hand had become. _I can't do this…anything…to stop…Naruto would…understand…_

"Anything you want to tell me, kunoichi?" He inquired, watching her contorted expression emotionlessly.

"Yes…" He waited as she gathered air into her lungs, the numbing pain searing into her brain. _Can't…They would know…Sasuke betrayed them…Be strong. _The understanding that her ex-teammate and current lover would most likely be blamed for not causing enough pain and discomfort for her to crack hit her rapidly, temporarily shuffling the pain away. "I'm not a traitor."

"You all say that…Although I must admit you are stronger than you look – it's been six minutes. I thought you would take about five." The man replied sympathetically as she moved on to grasp her ring finger, now slippery and coated in crimson. Easily wrenching it out of the joint and bending it backwards, he waited patiently as the girl's body shook, her screams no longer loud but hoarse and broken, halting abruptly after a few seconds. Flicking his eyes to Sakura's face, he saw her eyelids flutter closed, noting the girl had lost consciousness. Standing up and walking over to the large tub in the corner of the large room, the man picked up a large bucket and filled it with water, throwing a glance at his captive as he waited patiently. Her face had paled, now seeming white in contrast to her bright hair as blood continued to seep slowly from her right hand. Picking up the bucket, now full to the brim with cold water, he walked to hover above the kunoichi, dumping the contents on her in one quick movement.

The pink-haired girl stirred awake, opening her eyes with a groan of pain as she attempted to look around, finding the dark dungeon ahead of her rather than the small cell she had been placed in for the period of her captivity. A numb ache had spread through her limb, the dark wood of the table now fully coated with her blood. _"You have a lower pain tolerance than most shinobi." _She remembered Sasuke say in this same room as he attempted to cause her pain, one she had been barely able to bear and had pleaded for him to kill her. Now she couldn't do even that, as she doubted her voice would be able to produce coherent sounds after the execution she had been "treated" to.

"Welcome back." The man who she did not know but wanted to despise, yet lacking the strength to announced, settling into the seat across from her. "You didn't think it would be as easy, did you? Now, take four." The girl numbly shook her head, closing her eyes as she prepared for another round of pain.

_Can't last…Won't tell…_

She wasn't sure how many minutes had passed, or how many more would trickle by as she writhed on the wooden stool under the watchful, inquisitive yet sadistic gaze of the man. Yet the one thing she knew was that no matter how much she willed herself to, after a while that could last seconds or hours, she would no longer last.

A/N: This is now drawing to a close…I am planning this to be a 10-chapter fic, although I am not sure it would fit xD

Please review =)


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